Automatic combination-piano.



PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

N. D. HOSLEY. AUTOMATIC COMBINATION PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1004.

' 2 SHEETS'--SHEET 1.

NELSON DAGGETT HosnEY,

'OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ILCOX &' WHITE COMPANY, OF- MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PCRA TION OF CONNECTICUT.

/ Specification of 15th Patent.

AUTOMATIC COMBlNAflON-PIANO.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application filed September 3,1904. Serial No. 223,226.

T (1% /7/0122, it may concern:

Be it known that I, N nnson DAGGETT Hos- LEY, a citizen of, the at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Combination-Pianos, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same. a

The object of my present invention is to 81 ford, in a combination-piano, a practical and convenient arrangement of the manipulatory devices at the front of th piano-manual and to provide an eflicient',neat, and desirable recessed key slip or containing bar having a movable or hinged member that can be opened and closed to expose or-conceal themanipulatory terminals pertaining to the automatic operating mechanism and arranged along the front of the keyboard; also, to provide, in combination With the piano-casing and expression-manipulating devices, 'an' adjustable hand rest, as' more fully hereinafter explained.

tion at the re tfialpart To this end my invention consists in means the nature, preferred construction, and operation of which is illustrated in the drawings and explained in detail in the following description, the particular subject matter claimed being hereinafter definitely set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of a portion. of 2. tion applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a plan view o the keyboard and adjacent parts of a piano, illustrating theinveniion with its memers disposed as in open pos tion. resents a transverse vertical section of such parts of a combinatio piano mechanism as will more fully illustrat e vention. Fig. 4 is a fr agmen ary cross-secof the key-slip adjacent to the lo ks In the drawings, the parts marked A rep resent the ends of the case B, the ke bottoinor bod C, the front rail of the key-trams C, the fulcrum orbalance rail, and C the back rail of tho key-frame.

p D indicates the manual-hove. and E the fall-board or cover all of which parts I ay be of wcll-known or suitable wnstructioill United States, residing 0 eration.

. pedal piano having my inven-- Fig. 3 repthe n ture of this in-.

F indicates mechanism for operating the keys automatically. Such mechanism can be of any suitable construction. It is not shown in detail herein, as mechanisms for such purpose and for giving control and expression in its action are well known.

The parts marked 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent the fingering ends or manipulatorydevices whereby the expression or accentuation,

'mechanism pertaining to the automatic ac tion are controlled, the tempo-movemejnt regulated, and Winding and rewinding dek-i' vices for the music-sheet put into and out of In the present application I have manipulatory members only. osed with their terminal ends at s own the These are dis or within the 'ey-slip space overlying a ledge b ofthe key-table. It will be understood that the invention or parts here shown can be cm ployed with different kinds of automatic action mechanisms, expression mechanisms, and

music-winding mechanisms of well-known or suitable construction, the inanipulatory do vices being respectively formed and connected therewith in any convenient or suitable manner, but located with the finger-receiving ends of said devices disposed within or beneath the key-slip or face-piece in front of the manual ekeyboard over the ledge b of the key-bed. As herein illustrated, 2 and 7 indicate expression and accentuation manipulators 4, the Inusi c-windi ng and reroll shifter; 5, the tempo-regulating lever, and 3 and 6 actuating devices; but other order of placement may in some instances be'employed. I .1

The key-slip or casing portion at the front ends of the keys D is formed of two members, a thin lining member 9 member 10, having at its and an'outer finish lower rear side a re-- cess or recesses affording a holl w space 12 J for containing or inclosing the terminal ends of the various mani cated in Fig. 3. he outer member 10 is movably combined with the casing, it bein preferably hinged at 13 to swing forward and downward, as indicated in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines '10 manfpulatory devices when the piano crinstrument isto be played automaticall or again closed into position, shown in. ig. 1 and in full lines on Fig. 3, when the piano is used for inanual-playing or when not innse.

ulatory devices, as indi- Y on Fig. 3, so as to expose the llhen the member 10 is normally closed, the

inanipulatory devices are concealed and a perfect exterior finish is presented similar to the non-autoniatic pianos. The movable i key-slip member 10 may extend the full width oi the keyboard, or if in any instance 5 desired it can be made of less length or in sections ol a length to cover the groups of manipulatory devices.

The lock L for retaining the keyboardoover E is fitted in-the movable member of the key-slip, so that both the cover and the hinged slip are retained when the case is locked. Said lock may be of any suitable construction.

1 indicates an adjustable rest device sup ported upon the key bottom or bed B and arranged to slide or swing in a manner to permit of its being drawn out so that its front end projects from beneath the bed and key-slip member, as indicated by dotted lines P on Fig. 3, to serve as a rest for the member 10 when opened or as a rest for the hand of the operator while manipulating the expressioncontrolling devnes. The outer end of-the rest I is preferably hinged to its supporting bar or body at :r and formed in a manner to turn upward (see Fig. 3) for bringing the restsurface more nearly to the level of the keyslip range when in use. The slide-bar of the r st is best provided with a suitable stop or stud sfor limiting its outward. movement or adjustment at the desired position. When not required for use, the fore end can be turned down and the rest device retracted beneath the bed B. The head of the rest is best formed with a seat-surface 15 for supporting the movable key-slip member 10 when the latter is in open'position.

The exterior of the key-slip member may be made to correspond with the finish of piano whereon it is used, so that when closed the devices of the automatic action are not visibly apparent; but the instrument presents the appearance of an ordinary pianofront with no detractive featmes.

W'hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic piano, the combination with the key-bed, in anual-lreys, and an automatic action having its expression-controlling manipulators.disposed at the edge of the key-bed in front of the manual-keys; of an adjustable rest device supported on the keybed with its head member, when at extended position, projecting in front of the expression-controlling device as a rest for the hand of the operator, and retractable to a position beneath the keybed, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic piano or like instrument, the combination with the key-bed, the

manual-keyboard, and expression-manipulatmg devices having their terminals at the .front of said keyboard of a key-slip member adapted for concealing, said manipulating device, and hinged to swing forward for exposmg the same, and an extendlble rest device adjustably connected with the key-bed and having means for supporting: the key-slip member when at open position, and for resting the hand of the operator thereon.

fitness my hand this 1st day of Septem ber,1904.

NELSON DAGGETT HOSLEY. Witnesses:

A. G. KUHNLE, C. L. Praeon. 

